Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-13
Unwise and Unjust Action.

One of the best papers that comes to
our exchange table is the Sunday Tel
egraph, of Milwaukee. Among the
many sensab lie things its speaks of in
It's last issue is the following on pen
sions. Read it:
AS was anticipated, the senate has
passed special bill proposing to give
Mrs. John A. Logan a pension of
$4,000 year. The SUNDAY TELE-
GRAPH takes second place to no onein-
its admiration for Gen. Logan and his
great deeds, but it does not hesitate to
emphatically say chat the action of the
senate in passing the bill was unwise
and unjust. Unwise because Mrs.
Logan does not need the pension.
Unjust because there are tens of thou.
sands Of soldiers widows who stand in
great need OF more than the $144 a
year they now receive. Mrs. Logan
is given pension nearly fifteen times
as great as that given to the poor
widow who greatly needs more than
she receives. Over and above all
indebtedness. Gen. Logan left his
widow $4,000. The day after his
death movement was set on foot to
raise the sum of 800, 900 as present
to the worthy lady: Much more than
half of that sum has been contributed,
and very largely by men who could
we'll afford to contribute. Mrs. Logan
is sharp business woman. She would
have managed the $4,000 so as to
make her independent the balance of
her years, and have handsome sum
for her two children. Added to this
is the 100000 which sum, very
likely, is to 60 much beyond that
figure. What earthly use or sense.
then, was there in giving her pension
of $4,000? Not particle more than
there was in giving Mrs. Grant, who
was worth million Of dollars, PEN
sion of 5000, and that was reckless
waste of public money. Senator Vest
of Missouri. when he discovered that
Mrs. Logan was to be given pension
of 81, 1000 year, presented bill to
increase the pension of Mrs. Gen.
Frank P. Blair from $500 to $4,000,
which bill was also passed. If it was
proper to increase Mrs. Blair's pension
81. 400 year why not treat Mrs. Gen.
George A. Custer in the same way
and numerous other widows Of eminent
generals, some of whom are receiving
nothing? But there was no sense or
justice in either case.
A congress that is prompt to vote
pensions that are not needed to Mrs.
Grant and Logan will hesitate and
haggle and finally defeat measures
which proposes to give small pension
to the surviving soldiers of the old vol
uHteer army. 1t is true that there are
many thousands among these survivors
who do not need such pension.
While this is true there are hundreds
of thousands who do need it and
deserve it because they earned it in
preventing the destruction of the Govt.
that to day is so great and prosperous
and 80 able to foot the just bill. The
tens of thousands who do not need the
pension would not be obliged to draw
it even though they had the right,
nor would there be any law against
their contributing theirs to old soldiers
broken down in health, hundreds of
whom are now existing in poor houses
to help them out of their difficulties,
into the sunlight of comfort. The
argument that so many ex-soldiers do
not need pension is not good one
against general pension law. It is
very shallow, gerry shallow.